Porcelain Doll
by Ciel-hime
Summary: 'For the longest time, I've wanted to see the sky. To grasp the clouds and to feel the sun were my dreams. I've only ever read of them, in the never ending darkness that composed my life. But I'm embracing the winds now, roaming free and caressing everything in my wake.' Maiko enters Yuuei hoping to understand the world she grew up in. Will she accept the course of fate? (OCx?)
1. Chapter 1

Porcelain Doll

_'For the longest time, I've wanted to see the sky. To grasp the clouds and to feel the sun were my dreams. I've only ever read of them, in the never ending darkness that composed my life. But I'm embracing the winds now, roaming free and caressing everything in my wake.'_

Canon, non-canon, alternate universe, idk, whatever goes. First try at a BNHA fic good luck me.

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As far as she knew, her hearing was good. They didn't have any hearing problems in the family at all.

_You have been accepted to Yuuei Academy._

Perhaps she was hallucinating?

_As a recommended student, you are exempted from taking the entrance exam…having taken and passed the Advanced Placement Examination…_

It was a dream, maybe.

_You have been placed in the Department of Heroics, Class 1-A!_

She needed to wake.

_Come, Yukinokouji Maiko, to your hero academia!_

It was the end of her world.

But the beginning of her new reality.

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'_They just appeared with her.'_

'_She grants wishes.'_

'_She can give you anything.'_

'_She'll be our trophy.'_

'_She'll bring much great fortune to our name.'_

'_The child looks like—'_

'_Sssh! The master doesn't like hearing that.'_

'_She looks more and more like the great master.'_

'_The little miss was caught trying to get out yesterday. The one guarding her has… disappeared.'_

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There was something about the passage of time, the actions of people, and the consequences of humanity. As they said long, long ago, time was merely a concept of humans, no one can really measure time, so they gave it something to measure with. _Seconds, minutes, hours_. It passed without people knowing, so why bother to keep track of it. Within the boundaries of time, people acted, created groups that evolved into something more wonderful, a society. It was a concept she didn't really understand, despite the countless books that have been drilled into her.

Maiko stared, wide-eyed, at the buildings the car passed by. Not that she was able to see much, considering how darkly tinted the windows were, but she savored the sight. She turned her hungry gaze towards the windows once again, taking in every piece of scenery and etching them to her mind. She took in the looks of different people, some Quirks affecting their appearances. Curious grey skin, a couple of tails here, floating bags following a woman with glowing fingers. There was a whole new world of different people out there, and she didn't know what to feel when she finally met them. The only physical manifestation of her Quirk was the discoloration of her hair.

_Quirks_. It was another thing that she didn't fully understand. Neither did anyone, for that matter. For all experts claimed to know a lot about the phenomenon, no one could really explain it. They just appeared one day, a handful of humans blessed with the ability to do certain things on their own. Was it a blessing though, if they were hunted before, back when they had been the minority?

But now, in this society, almost everyone and their mother had Quirks. There was a minority of Quirkless people, but she hasn't really read much about them aside from the fact that they were just that, Quirkless. She had wanted to know how they survived and thrived in such a society where Quirks defined the person and their path. But there were no materials on such things.

_Quirks defined the person and their path_. Or so they said. But in a way, it was true. In a society filled with people with abilities, said abilities guided them on what road they should take. A black-and-white way of seeing things, but it was also the reason as to why Heroes and Villains were scattered all over the world now. There hadn't been any reason before, aside from internal motives. Although, the same could be said until now, but people also consider a person's Quirk's attribute before dumping them into one of three categories: Heroes, Villains, or a normal person.

Maiko couldn't really give her two cents about it. There were too many perspectives written about Quirks and their attributes, if one should be good or evil due to the nature of their Quirks. But she supposed she could say that it would all boil down to the person wielding it in the first place. If they are able to see the good side to their own human nature, or if they will go spiralling down the abyss of evil doings.

"Maihime, please sit properly,"

Her thoughts came to an abrupt end. Although she had been expecting the reprimand since she found herself leaning against the car's window.

Today, she was going to Yuuei Academy to see her fellow recommended students. And then, she was moving to her new apartment provided by her father. She was finally able to flip a new page in her life. Or at least, she would be as soon as she arrived there and the old man left her alone.

Pale red eyes barely glanced at the man beside her, but she moved anyway, fixing her posture. She ignored the now ranting old man, having done it for a long time now, it was practically habit by this time. She knew she was being rude, but she's already heard the sermon for god only knows how many times now, Maiko needed a break. Besides, she knew he knew she wasn't listening anyway.

"Your actions in Yuuei Academy will be reflecting upon the family," she managed to catch. "So please act according to your station. Your father has also deemed it necessary for you to start your network of connections as soon as you begin your classes."

She didn't say anything, opting to stare at the large building looming over them as the car approached the gates of her new school. Stepping out of the car, she managed to stop herself from gaping at the building. Yuuei's campus was definitely more magnificent than what she had seen in the pamphlet they had given her. The photos certainly didn't do it any justice.

"Here is your student identification card, please have it in your person at all times," her companion slipped the card inside the breast pocket of her coat. "Now follow along."

She blinked, slowly walking towards where the main door probably was. There was a black-haired man, looking like he hasn't slept in ages, waiting for them. He was tall, and Maiko had to look up. (_Everyone was taller than her, really_). She jumped minutely when they started to move.

"I'm Aizawa Shouta," the man introduced himself, glancing at her from the corner of his eye. "I'll be your homeroom teacher in Class 1-A."

"This is Yukinokouji Maiko-sama," her companion talked for her. "But of course, you already knew that."

Aizawa simply grunted in response, and silence once again enveloped their tread towards wherever they were heading. She was meeting with the other recommended students today. And without even knowing them, she already knew that they wouldn't like her. Probably. She knew her faults. At least she thought she did. She shook her head as the door to what seemed to be the principal's office opened. Pulling up her scarf to hide her face more, she couldn't resist the small flinch that resulted from the small cough coming from her companion. Pale red eyes looked up at him, blinking as he sighed.

"Well, it looks like we're all here now!" a rather squeaky voice came from the large office desk in the middle of the room. "Come, take a seat, Yukinokouji-kun."

Maiko barely had any time to react before she was ushered into the only vacant seat in the room. She didn't even had the time to observe her fellow recommended students, but she supposed there would be time for that. For now, she needed to pay attention to what Nezu-sensei was telling them.

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Maiko didn't consider herself a sociable person. How can you be sociable if you weren't able to talk? She didn't go out of her way to communicate, despite having the means to do so. She was sure, the moment they realized she wasn't talking, they'd discard her and never look back.

'_Sit still and be pretty, that's all you need to do.'_

So she didn't know what to do now that the five of them were left alone in a room, as the principal, Aizawa, another teacher, and her companion—she really should call him by his name, she was sure Yoshitsune wouldn't appreciate it if she called him her companion all the time—talked.

"I'm Yaoyorozu Momo," the tall girl with a large ponytail introduced herself, bowing slightly. "Nice to meet you."

"…Todoroki Shouto," came the short introduction from the boy with half red and half white hair. _White, like hers_. Maiko tilted her head. _He looks… familiar. A family friend perhaps?_ Or maybe she was just mistaking him for someone else. She didn't really know anyone from her age group, so it doesn't make sense for her to know him, nor for him to even strike her as familiar.

"—you?" Maiko's head snapped up, her hair flying with her abrupt movement. Her eyes widened as she took in all the eyes directed on her. She shook slightly. Her hands flailed as she went to find her phone, quickly typing and showing them: _"Yukinokouji Maiko, nice to meet you._"

And there was silence.

Did she do it right? Did she offend anyone by not speaking? She peeked through her pale lashes, unable to gauge their reactions.

"Nice to meet you, Yukinokouji-san!" Yaoyorozu smiled at her. _Smiled._ Someone smiled at her. And it felt like the sun was finally shining down on her. Was this how it felt to have someone pouring their attention on her? How long has it been since she last saw a genuine smile sent her way? She didn't really remember anymore. Maiko simply nodded weakly, noticing that the other two had moved closer to her, Todoroki simply sitting where he was. She listened as the three chatted around her, making small nods along the way to show that she was listening.

"Maihime," and just like that, the light atmosphere vanished with the appearance of her compa—Yoshitsune. She had wanted to stay longer, to talk more with her new… friends? Schoolmates, about which heroes they liked best. They even took her into consideration and patiently waited for her to type in her response on her phone. "We'll be settling your belongings in your new home, come along."

It took all of her training to not let her disappointment show. But she knew an order when she heard one and Maiko wasn't about to let Yoshitsune tattle to her family should she disobey. Not now, not when she can finally be on her own. She stood from her seat, bowing at her fellow recommended students before she followed Yoshitsune out of the room. She would be classmates with at least one of them that much she knew, so she wasn't entirely worried about not seeing them again.

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_Perhaps, this had been a mistake,_ Maiko thought as she stared at her reflection. She reached up, her fingers touching the soft material of her scarf, tugging it to rest against the skin of her face. It obscured her mouth, which was the main goal. Aside from that, she wore her school uniform normally, no additions. The necktie she tied like a bow, preferring it over the traditional neckties. It made her look less formal, in a sense. She looked…

She looked like a student.

She didn't know if she was ready to be one, but by the gods will she try. This was her life now. She wasn't about to waste the opportunity. Sending one final look at herself in the mirror, she grabbed her bag before heading out of her new apartment. It was smaller than her own wing back in the family home, but it was _hers_. And there was no one here aside from herself and the occasional maid who will come in to make sure she's still alive. It had been an option presented to her once she had received the acceptance letter to Yuuei. And while she had been suspicious as to why she had been given this chance to live alone, she had taken the moment she learned about it.

Maiko huffed, the long fringes over her eyes floating with her breath. She'll be fine. _No need to worry. You just need to worry about what impression you're going to make._

_Family. Reputation. Image._ Three words that they practically pinned in her brain. Having been the result of a Quirk marriage, Maiko certainly looked like a mix of her parents. Her pale red eyes came from her father, albeit toned down considering how vibrant his were. Her white hair had been black before, inky and deep like her mothers, before they lost their pigment due to Quirk overuse, but Maiko retained the porcelain white complexion. Maybe her less than considerable height was also an inheritance from her mother? But right now, she was her own person. No one should recognize her unless she mentions her parents' names.

_And yet…_ Her Quirk wasn't anything like her parents'. Not a trace of her father's water manipulation nor her mother's weapon-summoning Quirks were found in her own. Perhaps, manipulation and summoning were, but all in all, she didn't get anything from them. Her Quirk was her own. And at the same time, _it wasn't_.

A failure, they called her. Sometimes she had wondered if they were going to leave her behind and try to create a child who would be a perfect mix between the two of them. Someone who could create weapons out of water, summon water from the barest of air. And yet she was still here. Alive, with no siblings to follow her. Maiko didn't know what that meant. But at the same time she did, having lived there for her entire life, having her life controlled to the smallest detail.

_I wish…_ Wish what? That she was more like her mother? Always with a smile even when the tip of her swords were kissing the skin of someone else. Or like her father whose Quirk was to control water and everything in between, water which she always attributed to coldness but his eyes were red and so warmwarmwarm_toohotitburns_. She's learned a long time ago that wishing for such things were rather futile. She was her own person. She could do as she pleased. And yet, even as she looked around the street to see different types of people now within her reach, she felt stifled. _Chained._

Has her mind always been this… wandering? She hadn't even realized she was already in school until she found herself staring at the large door to her new classroom, and suddenly, Maiko didn't know why she just froze. There wasn't anyone outside aside from her, but she knew that people where already inside. It was early in the morning, too early for most of the students to come in, but not too late as well. She breathed in, before sliding the door open.

Pale red eyes closed as she got blinded by the sunlight coming in from the windows. _So this is a traditional classroom, huh_, she thought to herself, blinking as she saw Yaoyorozu and Todoroki among the three people in the room as she entered. She paused, looking around to check which seat she could take. Not that there was no choices left, but she wanted a spot where she could be a bit more in peace. A window seat maybe?

"Yukinokouji-san!" Maiko's head snapped up as Yaoyorozu finally noticed her presence. The taller girl smiled at her and Maiko could only squint at how bright she looked. Was this her Quirk? Sunshine sparkles? "It's nice to see you again!"

She bowed slightly, her hair following along with her movements. Her hands lifted as she started to sign, before stopping as she took in her classmate's clueless face. She winced a bit, taking out her phone so she could use it to communicate instead. She'd have to remedy that and get a whiteboard next time.

"_It's also nice to see you, Yaoyorozu-san,"_ she typed in. _"I'm glad we're classmates." _Looking up as she showed her phone screen to the other girl.

She was. Glad, that is. Glad that the first one to ever talk to her yesterday was her classmate. Not that she wouldn't like being classmates with the others, but Yaoyorozu simply exuded a calm aura, a leader. Her presence soothed her, and if possible, Maiko would really like to be friends with her.

"Take the seat in front of me!" Yaoyorozu beamed, pulling her towards the window seat in front of where she had claimed one. "And call me Momo! We're going to be together for three years, it's good to get to know each other."

Maiko put down her bag, fixing her scarf as she typed in another reply. There were several ways she could answer. Straightforward, in a way that she wished she could convey how much she wanted a person she could call her friend. Cold, brush her off because she didn't really know how to act around sincere people. Or formal, the way she was taught to approach everyone as she grew up. In the end, she settled for one. She would be here for a long time, and while the first thing that came to mind was to make allies for the future, one part of her desperately wanted a companion.

"_Then please, call me Maiko, Momo-san,"_ her brows furrowed at the slight smile on Momo's face. _"Did I say something that offended you?"_

"Well, I suppose it would take a while," the taller girl patted her head with a wry smile. Maiko stared, not knowing what the issue was. She simply nodded her head, before her attention was taken away by the loud conversation between three of her classmates. A tall blue-haired glasses-wearing boy, a green-haired boy, and a brunette. Something about the entrance exam. Which was then cut off by a rather explosive blond boy with glaring red eyes.

Maiko's eyes narrowed as the green-haired boy stiffened, his body language clearly saying he was uncomfortable and scared. _A bully?_ She thought, before shaking her head. It was… none of her business, really. And she'd rather not get involved in fights, her body wasn't made for such things.

She took her time to look around the classroom now that it was starting to fill up. Aside from the three of them, it seemed like the other two recommended students were in the other class. But beggars can't be choosers, and she was actually looking forward to getting to know all of her new classmates. It would probably take her a long time to remember their names, but that should be fine, right? Pale red eyes glanced around again, taking in the eclectic collection of people. From her spot, she could already tell the groups forming in a tight circle. Maiko sighed, looking down at her hands, _how nice_.

"They're rather loud," Momo muttered from where she was seated behind her. "Our teacher's going to be here soon, I—"

Maiko lifted her gaze to find the teacher who had greeted them yesterday coming out of a yellow sleeping bag. Once again, he looked like he needed sleep for gods only knew how long. She tilted her head, barely flinching when she was caught his glare. From within his sleeping bag, packets came out and settled over their desks.

"Wear those, and meet me in the field," came the curt instructions. Maiko looked down at the package on her desk. Another uniform then. A hand on her shoulder caused her to look up again to catch Momo's eyes.

"Let's go?" she smiled. Maiko could feel the corners of her lips turn up as she soaked in the taller girl's presence. She simply nodded, standing up to follow her to the dressing rooms. "Do you have any idea as to what we're going to do?"

Maiko shook her head, removing the scarf from shoulders as she started to take off her uniform to wear the other one. It was the right size, she wondered about how they even got it. From beside her, Momo leaned towards her a bit.

"Maiko-chan's really small, huh?" there was a teasing undertone to her voice. Maiko glanced at her, looking at the taller girl's more than ample curves, and compared them to her own. She was, for the lack of a better term, petite with almost a child's body. She had several theories as to why, but she liked to think that it was from her mother's genes that she was this tiny.

Pulling out her phone again, she hid a blush underneath her scarf. _"It is not my fault that I turned out this… small."_ Her reply was met with a small giggle. She didn't notice the way the other girls turned their attention to them until they were suddenly surrounding them as they headed to the fields to meet their teacher.

"Hello! I'm Uraraka Ochako!" the brunette from earlier this morning chirped, her hair bouncing along with her steps.

"Ashido Mina!" the pink-skinned girl introduced herself as well, mischievous eyes peering at the pair of them.

If it wasn't for the floating clothes, Maiko would have flinched at the sudden voice that came from her other side. "Hagakure Tooru, nice to meet you!"

"Jirou Kyouka," came the monotonous voice from the other girl, the earplugs attached to her ears waving at them.

"Asui Tsuyu, _kero_," okay, so Frog Quirk then, Maiko noted. From the seven of them, half of them had their Quirks manifesting on their appearances. She nodded her greeting at them, letting Momo introduce her to the others.

"Yukinokouji-chan can't talk?" Uraraka asked, her hands flailed as she realized what she had asked. "A-Ah! Sorry, that was rude!"

Maiko took her phone yet again, shaking her head as she typed in her reply. _"No, it is fine,"_ she waited before the others nodded at her response. _"My voice is gone."_

"Oh! I'm so sorry!" Maiko's brows furrowed as the other girl flailed around, her actions gaining the attention of everyone else. She tapped the brunette, showing her the phone screen again. _"Please calm down."_

Anything, anything to take the curious eyes away from her. She sighed as Uraraka finally calmed down, before she flushed as she realized everyone looking at her. Maiko sighed again before heading to where the assembly of her classmates were. As everyone settled, Aizawa-sensei finally deemed it the right time to actually show up again.

"We're doing a Quirk Apprehension Test," he stated, holding a board on his hands. "Eight tests, same as what you did back in middle school, only difference is that you're allowed to use your Quirk here. We're going to see your base scores as a basis of your growth while you're in the Heroics Department."

Maiko tuned them out as she looked down at her hands. _Like in middle school?_ She thought. _I don't have any experience_.

Those normal things that teens went through in their lives, she had never experienced herself. Perhaps she may have watched a video or two, but she didn't know the feeling of having to go through such things. Using her Quirk was easy enough. Her control over her abilities were nothing less than what was expected of her.

"Good luck, Maiko-san," Momo's serene voice rang beside her. She looked up, noting at the back of her mind how she's apparently the smallest out of everyone aside from the boy with grape-like hair. Nodding, she tightened her scarf. It wouldn't do for it to fly when it was her turn.

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_Once, there was a doll. Displayed in the middle of the room in a glass box, dressed in only the finest clothes and jewelleries. Her long hair shone light blue under the fluorescent lights, her glass eyes never blinked, and her porcelain body glowed gently._

_She was a masterpiece, the guards and servants said. Never moving, never changing, always there watching. The doll was never taken out, for they were afraid that her beauty will vanish under the light of the sun. The air outside was also different from this room, polluted unlike the sterile air the doll was in._

_The doll never really cared. Because she was just that, a doll._

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A/N: Welcome to sporadic updates. I'm testing out the waters of fanfiction again after god knows how long of a hiatus. Also, this will be cross-posted in AO3 (username: Ciel_hime). I might post a photo of Maiko later on? Wait for updates, I guess.


	2. Chapter 2

Hello! Welcome back!

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_First impressions are important_. It was something that had been ingrained in her upon growing up. While they said that it was her actions that ultimately cemented the first impression, Maiko believed that it was appearances first and foremost. Appearances first, actions second. No matter how much people say that it was the inside that matters, it was simply human nature to base off their own actions upon another person's looks. It was simply a matter of adjusting said actions once they've known each other well enough.

First impressions are important. _But the second impression lasts longer_. Her mother used to say that once you've gone past the original line of defence of a person, you have done something incredible. She never really put too much stock into it, Maiko did grow up surrounded by people who tried to maintain the image they have shown her upon meeting her. But at the same time, she understood her mother. Behind the genial masks with small smiles and careful hands were greed and pride. Maiko never talked about it. But she _saw_.

It was this that allowed her to get past the initial masks that her classmates put up._ Well, some of them, at least_, Maiko thought wryly. Then again, she could also be entirely wrong. The way she was brought up would also affect the way she interpreted things, she knew that. But it was the way she was taught, and while she didn't exactly like it, she couldn't do anything to remove it from her since it was all she ever knew. Acting otherwise would just leave her confused.

_Pay attention_. She had relied quite heavily on Momo for the apprehension tests, having no experience at all in such type of things. Aizawa-sensei only stated the exercise and expected all of them to know about it. Well, she knew some of them from name alone, but she wasn't entirely sure of the execution. And if there was one thing she didn't like, it was putting herself in the center of attention. Although she was pretty sure no one really paid attention to her.

Pale red eyes looked up at the final ranking for the tests. For the throwing exercise, she placed in the middle, 10th, having good enough control over the winds to take the ball as far as they could in one shot. The same happened for the dash, letting herself be carried by a concentrated gust of wind. The air was hers to manipulate. Never control, for air wasn't something to be trifled with. So she learned to shape it, make it work for her instead. She didn't want to perform too well, but at the same time, she didn't want to lag behind considering the threat of expulsion hanging over their heads.

_I don't want to be expelled._ Not this early in the game. And not when she hasn't experienced even a mere taste of freedom.

She looked around yet again, her gaze landing on the skittish green-haired boy. Midoriya Izuku. He had placed last in the final ranking, and was singled out by their teacher pretty during the ball throw test. His Quirk was powerful, but it broke his body too easily. Maiko tilted her head. _Not used to it?_ If he's had his Quirk since he was young, he should've found a better way to use it by now. Unless…

_He just got it_. Which would also explain why Bakugou had been surprised that he was here. From what snippets she had heard from Midoriya and Uraraka's talk, the two boys grew up together. There was a deeper backstory there, but she wasn't going to pry, really. It wasn't her business.

"Also, I lied about the expulsion," Aizawa-sensei dropped the bomb just as Midoriya looked like he was going to cry. Momo quickly picked up what he was trying to say. Looking at it now, with a threat looming over them, it was a way to make sure that everyone gave their all to secure their spot and call themselves deserving of their position in the Heroics department.

_Unlike me_. Lying about her own capabilities just became another sin of hers and it was just the first day of school. She knew that the teachers have a copy of her profile, it was mandatory after all. Did they know though, the true extent of her Quirk?

All of a sudden, she felt like she was misplaced. She didn't belong with a group of people who already knew that they wanted to be heroes, whose goals are already clearly set in place. In the end, her only motivation to stay here was so she could experience the outside world and be far, far away from her family. Maiko sighed, shrugging off the gym clothes she was wearing and folding them neatly. _Will I ever belong?_

Her eyes settled upon the backs of her classmates. Despite the rather rough start, they stood tall, head high and chin up. _Heroes._ Once again, she found herself asking the same question. _Why do I want to become a hero?_ Long ago, when she was a child, when she was naïve, she'd probably have answered somewhere along the lines of: I want to save people. But growing up, she realized she couldn't save everyone. Perhaps for now, her answer was that she wanted to use her abilities to benefit others. It was… what she had been taught.

'_You can't even save yourself.'_

Maiko shut her eyes tightly, breathing quite heavily as she tried to catch up to her classmates' march back to the classroom. There was no use thinking about it now. She had freedom nearly in her grasp, and she'd do anything to keep it with her. But for now, she'd do what she can.

'_Do your best, Maiko-chan. I'll always be rooting for you!'_

Pulling out her phone, she tapped Momo's shoulder as they neared the classroom. _"Congratulations on being first place. Momo-san's really strong."_

She was given another bright smile, and Maiko had to restrain herself from shielding her eyes.

"Maiko-san's control over the wind is really great too!" The taller girl praised her. "You looked like you were surfing earlier with how you used it."

"Yukinokouji-chan's wind control is awesome! At least you can control your flight, unlike mine," Uraraka chimed from beside them, Ashido nodding along. How Maiko found herself being surrounded by them, she didn't know. Probably Momo. It was a new thing, being surrounded by people her age. Were they friends? Acquaintances perhaps, but one day, they'll get there.

"_It was average. I should train to improve."_ Maiko shrugged, showing them her phone screen again. From her right side, Momo's brows furrowed. A small sparkling light and Maiko was presented a whiteboard and a marker. _"Momo-san?"_

Momo only smiled at her. "I noticed that you're not too used with using a mobile, so I thought you'd appreciate writing instead?" she asked. "And it's also more convenient!"

With shaking fingers, Maiko reached out to take the objects from her friend. _A gift._ Someone had given her a gift._ "Thank you, Momo-san…"_ she immediately used the board. _"I'll find a way to repay you back."_

She ignored the curious eyes on her back.

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Education is a social construct. A way for people to rank themselves according to the knowledge they have and will receive. Created to ensure that people will have a future, and a stable life. A way for people to understand the world and allows people to adapt to society.

_As foundation for when you are finally released to the reality of life that is human society._ Education and learning was one thing, school was another. While it has been a generally accepted way of learning, some people still believe that you can't learn everything in schools. Doing the taxes, cooking for yourself and surviving on your own, sometimes even sewing on a small button wasn't being taught. Yes, people are being equipped with the knowledge they need to survive the world, but they weren't exactly being taught how to take care of themselves.

It certainly didn't stop Maiko from cursing her own education system though. Having been home-schooled, her family had a hand in what subjects she was going to take, what lessons she was supposed to learn, and which teachers were going to help her. Aside from the more formal side of education, Maiko also had the lessons and training of a regular Yukinokouji lady, one that involved the more feminine lessons, to self-defense, and of course, one of her more dreaded lessons, social etiquette. While it would normally result to a more well-rounded education, she didn't know what to do when it came to the more practical side.

Case in point, Maiko fidgeted as she waited for Momo to come back from Lunch Rush with their food. It wouldn't be a problem for her to wait, but the fact that she was suddenly approached wasn't in any of her plans for the day. And she certainly didn't know how to respond properly.

"Can we sit here?" a deep voice had disturbed her from her thinking just a few seconds ago. Maiko looked up, only to be catch grey and turquoise eyes. Todoroki, and her seatmate, Tokoyami, were waiting for her to respond, their trays in their hands. Maiko gulped, clenching her eyes for a moment before nodding her head.

"_Momo-san's joining us though,"_ she wrote on her board, courtesy of said girl. Maiko heaved a sigh of relief when the two boys just nodded as well. Silence embraced their table once again, Maiko not talking, and the two boys not interested in small talk as well. Which suited her just fine. She was rather curious about Tokoyami's Quirk though, but she didn't exactly know how to approach him.

"Oh, Todoroki-san, Tokoyami-san," Maiko was just about ready to hail Momo as her savior. "Here you go, Maiko-san. I'm not entirely sure I approve of you eating only cold soba, though. You're already so… _petite_."

Maiko ignored her, placing the bowl of soba in front of her. The sensation of being stared at made her look up directly to Todoroki's eyes, who was also eating cold soba, but with other side dishes together with it. _"I like cold soba, and I can't eat too much."_

It made her sick, she wanted to add. Being small as she was, it was hard for her to consume large amounts of food at a time. That's why she usually ate in proportions. Momo only hummed in worry, before she addressed their two new companions. "May I ask why you chose to sit here?"

"The only other vacant seat is with Bakugo," Tokoyami answered as he swallowed the takoyaki he had ordered. Maiko glanced up, her eyes quickly roaming around the cafeteria. Sure enough, the only other group with vacant seats were with the blond's group. Despite it being the first day, there were already groups being formed. Pale red eyes glanced at the tall girl beside her, wondering why she didn't sit with the other girls. Momo had, after all, gotten to know some of them, while Maiko had lagged behind.

_Why can't you talk?_ Her hand reached up beneath her scarf, touching the warmed skin of her throat. Her mouth opened, as if she was going to speak, flinching when no sound came out.

"Maiko-san?" Her head snapped up at her name. The three of them were looking at her now, Momo's eyes brimming with worry and confusion. "Are you alright?"

_No, I'm not_, she wanted to say, but instead she nodded. No need to burden other people about her problems. They were here to become heroes, her personal issues need to take a backseat and her focus on finishing her heroes' education was more important.

_I'm also important_. Maiko sighed, finishing the last of her cold soba, and drinking the apple juice that she brought with her. _No, you aren't_.

"_Shall we go back to the classroom?"_ she asked. Once again, she ignored the curious eyes on her back.

_Run, run, run. Run away._

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Once, Maiko didn't appreciate having to study so many things all while she was growing up. After all, her family had planned to send her to a hero school once she was of age, so what was the use of formal education when all she needed was to train her body and her Quirk? Now she figured out why. Despite Yuuei being a hero school, it was still a high school no matter which angle you wanted to look at it. Being the first day, and what was supposed to be the day for the General Orientation, school was cut off to half, and they'll be starting the next day, Monday. Now though, they were given their class schedules.

_English, Japanese Literature, Social Studies, Mathematics_. All typical school subjects. Maiko wouldn't have any problems with these, despite being home-schooled, she could acknowledge that her education was, in actuality, well-rounded. _Home Economics_. Now _that_ would be a disaster. Having grown up in a rather rich family, she had the family servants at her disposal, and they never deemed it important to teach her at all. Oh well, for as long as there were instructions, she could manage. Probably.

Their mornings all consisted of regular high school subjects, and their afternoons were filled with the hero classes. _Foundational Hero Studies, Non-Quirk Combat, _and _Hero History_ were just a few that they'd be having. Just looking at the slip of paper that had their schedule printed on, Maiko could feel the excitement coming in. It would be a hard path upwards, but she was looking forward to actually having to work on her own now.

"Are you taking the train home, Maiko-san?" Momo's sweet voice came from behind her. She looked at her, noticing that she was already fixing her things and placing them in her bag. Maiko slipped the class schedule to her own bag, pulling the zipper close as she stood as well.

"_No, I'm walking home,"_ she wrote down.

"Are you sure you should be walking on your own?" Tokoyami huffed from her other side. She tilted her head in confusion.

"_I'm sure I'll be fine," _she assured him. _"There's nothing to worry about, Tokoyami-san."_

She could see him make a dubious face which she promptly ignored. _"The apartment is just a short walk, I will be fine," _she wrote down again. The directions to her apartment were fairly easy to memorize, and so while she didn't have the best sense of direction, Maiko was fairly sure she'd get there in one piece.

(If she just knew that they were worried, she'd probably say something else. If she knew that in their eyes, she looked like a fragile flower they needed to watch over, perhaps she'd be a little more considerate. But Maiko didn't really understand, she simply thought they were stifling her, taking away her freedom. She could take care of herself. But perhaps in a distant future, she'll learn to understand. There was much to learn, after all.)

"_Take care on your way home,"_ Waving goodbye to the two, she headed to the opposite direction and started walking. She fiddled with her phone, opening the camera app as she started to take photos of her surroundings. Flowers were starting to bloom, it was after all, spring. The trees were all swaying with the cool April air. She felt at home.

A prickling sensation and another set of footsteps alerted her to a new person. She didn't notice it earlier, she must've been too engrossed in her picture taking. Maiko stopped walking, gulping before she looked back to see who was following her. Red and white met her vision. _Todoroki-san_, her mind supplied.

Maiko blinked when the tall boy passed her without saying anything. _Okay?_ She huffed, before stopping again as she stared at him staring at her. She tilted her head in confusion, before Todoroki gestured with his head. _Was he-? Yes, yes he was. _Her eyes brightening, a small smile threatened to show on her lips.

With a few quick steps, she was walking beside him. From their short interactions yesterday and earlier today, she wouldn't have expected him to actually approach her. They were both quiet, and didn't speak often, Maiko quite literally couldn't speak, more likely to stand at the sides to observe.

_Observe_. With this current scenario and with no one to bother them, Maiko took her time to observe her unexpected walking companion. Todoroki Shouto was interesting. His hair was symmetrical, red and white perfectly equal on top of his head. His grey and turquoise eyes held a hidden depth to them, but only showing cold aloofness to the world. He had a curious scar on the left side of his face, but Maiko knew not to pry. And to top that all off…

Todoroki Shouto was _tall_.

He was probably a whole foot taller than she was, the top of Maiko's head only reaching his collarbone. Again, she wanted to ask why and how she was so small when her mother was taller than her and her father was practically a towering mountain of a person.

He was also a gentleman, from what she could gather. Maiko had short legs, thus she had small steps. And with how long Todoroki's legs were, Maiko was able to keep up with him even with her normal walking speed. He was matching his steps with hers. _How… considerate._ Her lips curled up in a small smile, unseen behind her scarf.

_I've never heard him talk, aside from yesterday when he introduced himself_. If one could even consider that as an introduction, that was. Well, Maiko thought her classmate did look like he wasn't one for words. And it wasn't as if he's heard her talk with her current condition as well. So that was fair?

She directed her gaze back front, occasionally looking to the sides when she caught something unusual. Soon enough, she could recognize the neighborhood. This was near the train station, and just a few blocks from here was her apartment building. Maiko glanced at Todoroki again. He wasn't even twitching, his face the usual calm and collected state. She did wonder why he suddenly decided to walk alongside her though. Did he live nearby as well?

Maiko stopped walking when they were at her apartment building, Todoroki paused as well, making a small grunt as if asking her why she stopped. She fiddled with the hem of her skirt, before raising a hand to point at the main door of the apartment complex. Quickly, she took out her phone, the whiteboard Momo gave her safely tucked inside her bag. _"This is my stop."_

His brows furrowed before smoothing out again. He nodded at her, but he didn't move.

"_Thank you for walking me home, Todoroki-san,"_ she wrote again. _"Although you really shouldn't have."_

"My house is nearby, and you were heading the same direction," he replied, shrugging. Maiko tilted her head, before bowing again.

"_Thank you, again," _she typed, before hastily adding in, _"Take care on your way home as well._"

She waited for him to move, to turn around to head home. Instead, all she got was more silence. Maiko fidgeted. _Did she say something?_

"…tomorrow, too," she looked up again, making a confused noise at the back of her throat. "We can head to school together tomorrow. What time do you head out?"

"_7:30, but I go to school at 8:00,"_ the extra 30 minutes was so she could eat at the café near the train station, they served great pancakes and the tea that they made was to her tastes.

"Then I'll be here then," was all Maiko heard before Todoroki was heading down the street without so much as a goodbye. Confused as to what had happened, Maiko turned around to head inside the building as well, her mind filled with questions about the other boy already.

* * *

_She remembered seeing the blue sky once. That was also the first time she ever felt the wind caress her face. It was a nice feeling, one she wasn't likely to forget, unlike the countless of memories now stored in little spheres that tormented her in her sleep._

'_I can't do anything.'_

'_Bring them back.'_

'_I want them back.'_

_But they remained there, untouched by time, replaced by the fictitious scripts that they made her read and memorise until she couldn't remember that she lost something anymore._

'_It's better this way.'_

* * *

A/N: Welcome back to sporadic updates. I know it's been a week, but please don't get used to this. My writing muse is at its strongest at the beginning. There might come a time that it will take me a month or so to update, so apologies for that.

P.S. Maiko's profile is done. She might be OP, but I'll try to tone her down. She's my darling BNHA child though, so- whoops.

((Shameless plug time! Check out on Instagram or SeaCiel 2.0 on Facebook if you wanna see how Maika looks like. Her hero costume's also there as well.))


	3. Chapter 3

Hello again!

* * *

It was already the middle of their first week in Yuuei. And Maiko found herself settling down into routines, and habits were starting to form. During mornings, she'd find Todoroki waiting for her outside the apartment building, then they'd head to the café by the train station to get breakfast. The first time that happened, he'd already eaten, so he ordered tea while Maiko got her usual. They'd walk together to school, meeting up with Momo and Tokoyami by the lockers as they switched their shoes.

By lunch, the four of them would share the table. Although Momo wasn't always there, sometimes she chose to sit with the other girls, and while they extended an invitation to her, Maiko felt intimidated sitting with too many people at a time, especially with too loud a crowd. Sometimes, Mezo Shoji and Koda Koji sat with them. The two boys were also quiet, so the serene peace of their table was conserved.

During Hero Studies, she'd find herself with the same group, often pairing with Momo for the non-Quirk combat classes. Stealth, Trap Making and Capture Training (or STC as they liked to call it) might become her favorite class despite Edgeshot being such a demanding teacher. Her silence made it hard for her to be noticed, plus with her Quirk and small figure, she was easily hidden from plain sight. She did wonder if Eraser Head (or Aizawa-sensei as he pointed out they should call him) would help out to teach them in STC since the underground hero was also known for his quick capture methods.

Then by the end of classes, Maiko would find herself walking beside Todoroki on the way home. Once they deviated to stop by the café again, just to pick up some tea. It was nice, having some semblance of routine now. She liked it. Slowly, Maiko was realizing that she had friends. She was allowed to call them friends, right? It had only been a week, but she felt it was just right to call them that.

'_You don't deserve it.'_

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It was Thursday.

Maiko clumsily rubbed her eyes. It was early morning, and for some reason, she had woken up a full hour before her alarm clock rang. She stared at the white ceiling of her room, before deciding that dallying was probably not the best idea. A pale hand reached out from under the thick covers, taking the phone on top of the side table.

She squinted as the bright light of her phone nearly blinded her. Maiko yawned, finally getting up to stretch. It was way too early, what was she supposed to do now? There was nothing to do in her apartment aside from watching whatever's on the television which was probably the early morning news. With no other choice but to do that, Maiko dragged her blanket to the living area, curling on the couch as she turned on the TV. The newscaster became background noise as she was dragged again back to sleep.

The next thing she knew, her phone was vibrating violently beside her ear. Ah, she fell asleep. At least she wasn't feeling as tired as she had been earlier. She picked up her phone to turn off the alarm. Maiko felt faint when she saw the time, realizing that she had about five minutes to get ready before Todoroki arrived so they could walk to school.

_[07:32 AM] Todoroki Shouto (todoroki_s)  
_

_I'm here._

Speak of the devil and he shall appear. Or well, make his presence known. Maiko was pulling up her socks when he messaged her. Quickly taking her scarf and wrapping it around her neck, she replied to him.

_[07:35 AM] Yukinokouji Maiko (yuki_maiko)_

_I'm on my way down._

Rushing towards the elevator, Maiko started thinking of various ways to apologize to him for being late. She didn't really know why she woke up early only to fall asleep again and be late. She shook her head, fixing her scarf again as she rapidly typed in her phone, already spotting Todoroki's unique hair just outside the main door.

"_I'm sorry I'm late. I fell asleep on my alarm clock after I woke up earlier. I'm sorry."_

She bowed to her waist, her eyes shut tight as she waited for his response.

"…it's fine," Todoroki muttered. "It wasn't a long wait, anyway."

Maiko straightened again, looking up at him to gauge his sincerity. When she found what she was looking for, she heaved a sigh of relief.

"_Still, I apologize."_

A hand on her head made her jump. Peeking through her lashes, a small smile threatened to appear again beneath her scarf as she saw a barely there twitch on his lips.

"_Let's go? I remember they have blueberry pancakes at the café as a special today."_

And that had been that. Fortunately, despite the minor setback, they did manage to get to school in their usual time. There was a reason why Maiko always insisted on being early, after all. She didn't want to be late and be seen as a lazy student. That wasn't the image she wanted to project.

That said, maintaining the prim and proper lady image was her only motivation behind looking like she was listening to Present Mic as he kept talking. It was time for English. And while she wasn't completely fluent in the language, _her education was more focused on Traditional Japanese_, she could pass this without a doubt. Which is why she found herself being bored.

Pencil tapping against the table, Maiko sighed. She turned her gaze down to her notebook, a smile hiding under her scarf as she saw the multitude of _chibi_ drawings in different poses around the page. Momo's large ponytail was very prominent since Maiko drew about ten of her. Chibi Todoroki and Tokoyami were also liberally floating around the piece of paper, with some appearances from Koda and Mezo here and there.

It was nice, and at the same time, disconcerting to see the differences between the Maiko a month before, and the Maiko now. When before, she'd never see anything but figures and letters on her notes, now she had doodles flooding the pages. She was also thankful for her strict schedule before, otherwise, she might have been clueless as to what her teacher had been saying.

The bell for lunch rang, finally. Maiko gave a quiet sigh as she let her head fall to the table. She could feel Tokoyami's curious gaze at her. She studiously ignored him.

"Maiko-san?" Momo's angelic voice made her perk up slightly. Maiko raised her head to look at the girl who moved to stand beside her desk, Tokoyami and Todoroki standing around them. She made a small noise.

"Hurry up, if they run out of cold soba—," before Todoroki could even finish, Maiko stood and pulled Momo to the cafeteria, knowing that the two boys would follow. She relished in her laughter, warmth blooming in her chest as they headed to the cafeteria.

Lunch Rush already knew her order before she could even type it on her phone. Maiko turned a blind eye to her friends' stares.

"You should really order something else," Tokoyami sighed from behind her. She looked at him, before sending a pointed look at what Todoroki had ordered, which was also cold soba, and looking back to him again. "…point."

Silence settled over their table again, even when Mezo and Koda joined them. This was the first time that Momo was here when the other two boys were. Was it strange? They weren't like the other tables, Maiko thought as she peered at the others. They were completely quiet, with Momo and Tokoyami making small comments once in a while. She appreciated the peace, to be quite honest, she preferred it over the chaos that she could see over her other classmates' tables.

_I should probably also make an effort to get to know the others,_ she sighed. But that was where her problem was. She didn't know how to even approach them, much less talk to them. She was, after all, voiceless.

"What's on your mind?" Todoroki nudged her side. Maiko jumped at the sudden movement.

"_I was just wondering what our Hero Class for the afternoon is,"_ a lie, and he probably knew it, but he left her to her thoughts anyway.

"Aren't we supposed to have All Might as our teacher for Foundational Hero Studies?" Mezo asked, one of his extra limbs turned into a mouth. It was a fascinating Quirk, very useful too. "I remember hearing someone about it."

They were going to have the number one hero as their teacher? For foundational studies too. That was important. It would be the fundamentals for their heroic studies. Perhaps this time, Maiko should perform better. Not like the mediocre act she did for the apprehension tests. Aside from Momo and Todoroki, no one knew that she came to Yuuei under recommendations. Good thing too, that her two friends weren't ones to just talk about it.

_A recommendation student? But she didn't even rank that high. _Maiko could practically hear them, the comments that would have come up if her classmates knew. What use was it if she couldn't even show that she deserved to be recommended? _And I still don't know who sent in the recommendation too._

It was a mystery that she wanted to solve immediately, but she didn't have any leads as to which Pro Hero could have pitched in a recommendation for her. Maiko has met a lot of them in her years in the family manor, so there was no telling as to who it could be. But at the same time, all the Pro Heroes she met only knew of _that._ She shook her head. Did her teachers knew of the other aspect of her Quirk?

_Too many questions, no answers at all._

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Maiko usually found herself thinking deeper after lunch. She didn't know why, but there was something about the time that made her think more, try to understand more about herself, and now, the people around her as well. There was still time before their next class, and if she was to believe her classmates, then All Might was their teacher. And Maiko wanted to be prepared.

Foundational Hero Studies was, after all, going to prepare them for when they become actual Pro Heroes. While they've already had a taste of combative and non-combative classes, both with Quirks and no Quirks, there was still something different with this class. Maiko didn't remember the exact wording in their curriculum, but there was something regarding trials and situations that made this one class unique. Team training too, maybe? Now that was the one thing Maiko didn't know if she'd make it.

They were pretty lucky, she guessed, that the Heroics Department had the number one hero for their teacher. From the hologram that Yuuei sent with the acceptance letter, All Might had mentioned settling down in Musutafu to be a teacher in Yuuei. He left his agency in Tokyo to teach. _Why?,_ was the question to ask. He was successful. And while she could believe that he wanted to be part of shaping the new generation of heroes, Maiko was quite sure that wasn't where it ended.

She had been raised to find motives under motives, reasons behind plans. And this abrupt decision to teach was rather fishy.

She wasn't about to complain though. It was highly beneficial and advantageous to her batch to have the number one hero, as well as a lot more Pro Heroes, to teach them about heroics. After all, who better to teach them than those who had plenty of experience, no?

Maiko stopped by the doorway, a soft gasp escaping her when Momo bumped into her suddenly. But her eyes were focused on the group of people around Midoriya. _Who was seated in front of her, and they were crowding around her seat as well._

"Maiko-san?" she jumped, finally moving again. She fiddled with her scarf when Uraraka blocked her way to her seat. "Ah, Uraraka-san."

Maiko watched as the brunette practically jumped a foot off the floor when Momo spoke.

"Yaoyorozu-san!" she exclaimed. "Yukinokouji-chan! Ah, sorry, I was blocking your desk huh?"

Maiko shrugged, before taking a seat. Blinking when she felt stares upon her person, she glanced up to see Uraraka, Midoriya, and Iida looking at her. She tilted her head in confusion. Was there something on her face?

"I don't think I know your name!" she flinched at the way Iida phrased that. It had been a few days of school know, and there were still people who she didn't know and didn't know her. How's that for someone who wanted to have friends. "I'm Iida Tenya!"

"M-Midoriya I-Izuku!" Midoriya stammered, his face gaining an interesting shade of red. "N-Nice to meet you…"

_I know_, she wanted to say. She's seen Momo and Tokoyami talk to them a few times now, so her two friends have mentioned them before. And Midoriya sat in front of her in class, so there was no way to miss who he was as well. She picked up the whiteboard Momo gave her and started to write.

"_Yukinokouji Maiko, nice to meet you,"_ it read. She waited for the inevitable response of scoffs and turning back on her. But it never came. She saw Midoriya open his mouth to talk, when the door slammed open.

"I AM HERE," All Might's loud voice echoed in the suddenly quiet room. "COMING THROUGH THE DOOR LIKE A NORMAL PERSON!"

Okay, forget what she said about being excited for this class. Maiko had to refrain from jumping at the loud sound he made when he entered the class, made extra louder by the lack of noise. Which was rather surprising for a loud class like theirs.

"It's All Might!"

"That's his Silver Age costume!"

"Oh my god we're so lucky!"

"It's really him!"

_And there it is_. Maiko sighed when her classmates erupted into chatter. Even the quiet Tokoyami seemed to be fidgeting on his seat. Momo was expressing her excitement in that elegant manner known only to her. Todoroki was the same as always with his straight face. Midoriya, on the other hand, seemed to be bouncing on his seat in front of her. His mutters grew louder, but at the same time, more muffled, and she could see Bakugou's shoulders shaking in what seemed to be contained range. _There was definitely something there_.

"WELCOME TO FOUNDATIONAL HERO STUDIES!" the large hero practically bellowed. "THIS IS THE CLASS THAT WILL TRAIN YOU INTO REAL HEROES! For our first class, we'll be having a mock scenario!"

Maiko took in a deep breath. This is it, this was the proper starting line.

"BATTLE SIMULATION!"

Murmurs spread around the classroom, and Maiko could practically see Bakugou's vicious grin from the front and Midoriya's loud gulp that even Uraraka probably heard from the other side of the room if the looks she and Iida were sending the green-haired boy any signs.

Personally, Maiko wasn't too keen on a battle scenario. She wasn't a pacifist, but she was more likely to do support work than be on the frontlines, despite the fact that her Quirk was pretty strong in itself. Still though, she'd rather do side work and support. _Oh well._

"But first!" All Might interrupted the excitement again. "Every hero needs a costume!"

Again, cheers echoed around the class.

"We've taken the designs and requests you have sent to match your Quirks!" Right, Maiko remembered that along with the acceptance letter was another form for the Hero gear. She tried to remember what she had placed for her own costume, before realizing that she probably had been vague when she said 'easy to move in, white, lightweight, with a Capture Gear like Eraser Head's'. So now her own costume was a mystery for her.

She didn't even remember why she chose white. Although, she did find white to be her color. It was the color of her hair, and her current apartment and everything in it was white. _With splashes of black, but that's technicalities._

Maiko was brought out of her reverie when the room shook a little, the wall beside them suddenly revealing panels with their student numbers.

"And don't forget," there was a slight pause, making everyone lean over their desks. "FROM NOW ON, YOU'RE ALL HEROES!"

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"Uwaaah!" Maiko stomped down the urge to flinch at the sudden noise from beside her. Uraraka jumped around her, the other girls looking at them as well. "Yukinokouji-chan looks so cool!"

Cool wasn't the word she'd use to describe her outfit. Monochromatic was more accurate. Pulling out her phone, as the whiteboard was too bulky to take for their current activity, she quickly typed in. _"You look great as well, Uraraka-san."_

"I wish I was more specific about the material…" the other girl pouted as she looked down on her costume, picking and prodding at it. Maiko thought it looked good on her. Besides, if she didn't specify the material, the support company would have used something that would match her Quirk perfectly.

Maiko looked around the grounds they were in. Some of her classmates were already here, showing off their costumes one way or another. Pale red eyes looked at her own friends. Tokoyami was wearing a cloak, under it, she didn't know. But it suited him, and the darkness under it would be good to control his Quirk, Dark Shadow, well. Momo, on the other hand, was wearing something revealing. But it was a necessary evil when using her Quirk, Creation. Todoroki though…

_White and ice._ He certainly was making a point with his own costume. His whole left side was covered in ice.

"Oh, you and Todoroki-san match!" Ashido chirped from somewhere in the group. She tilted her head in contemplation.

Maiko herself was wearing all white. For her top, they gave her a short-sleeved, short dress that ended above her thighs, a zipper going all the way from the built-in mask to the bottom of the dress. Underneath, she was wearing white shorts for extra protection. High-heeled thigh high boots boosted her measly height. Around her waist were two utility belts criss-crossing. One had a first aid kit attached, the other had three spheres hanging.

To complete her costume, she had short white gloves, with two sturdy wristbands that served as the main point of the Capture Devices that wrapped around her arms. They were like Eraser Head's own scarf-style Capture Device, her own waving in the air as her Quirk activated.

Someway, somehow, her color scheme had matched Todoroki's. It was an accident, of course, since they didn't meet until that weekend, nor did they even had a chance to talk about matching up their costumes. Maiko shrugged, well, that was that. If they allowed for upgrades, perhaps she'll consider changing colors.

"Alright class!" All Might easily took everyone's attention. "We'll be playing Heroes versus Villains! You'll be pairing up with another classmate, with one group having three members to take into account the odd number, and go against another team!"

Iida's hand immediately shot up. "How will the pairings be decided? And isn't it unfair for one team to have more than two people?"

_Too many questions._ She zoned out as All Might started to explain what was supposed to happen for their activity. Villains guarding the nuclear weapon, while the Heroes had to go and capture them to stop it from being 'deployed'. And that sometimes, a group will be over-numbered and will have to make do with what they had. She supposed that was why it was necessary to have random groupings as well, it was good to know someone with a different Quirk and how you can utilize that so you can work well together.

"Here's your groupings and who you're going against!" a hologram appeared beside the tall Hero, and Maiko's eyes immediately looked for her name on the projection. "First teams are Heroes, the second are Villains!"

**Team A **(Midoriya Izuku, Uraraka Ochako) **vs Team D **(Tenya Iida, Bakugou Katsuki)

**Team B** (Mezo Shoji, Todoroki Shouto) **vs Team I** (Hagakure Tooru, Ojiro Mashirao)

**Team E** (Aoyama Yuuga, Ashido Mina) **vs Team C** (Mineta Minoru, Yaoyorozu Momo)

**Team H** (Asui Tsuyu, Tokoyami Fumikage) **vs Team J** (Kirishima Eijiro, Seto Hanra, Yukinokouji Maiko)

**Team G** (Kaminari Denki, Jirou Kyoka) **vs Team F** (Koji Koda, Sato Rikido)

Maiko tried to spot where her teammates were as everyone scattered, but everything became chaotic especially when they were instructed to go to the screening room so we could see everything happening in the mock city we were in just a few moments ago. She sighed, she needed to find her teammates so she could at least get a feel of their Quirks and they could formulate a plan as to how she could support them as well.

A tap on her shoulder made her jump and turn around, her eyes round. She was met with wry smiles from a redhead and a dark haired male with rather peculiar triangle mouth. _Her teammates?_

"Hi! I'm Kirishima Eijiro!" the redhead introduced himself, before jabbing a thumb to the other boy's direction. "And that's Seto Hanra. Nice to meet you, Yukinokouji-chan!"

Maiko bowed, before pulling out her phone again. _"Nice to meet you as well." _She tilted her head as their smiles spread out more. _"I hope we can work well together."_

Smiles turned into grins as she was crowded by the two boys who started to talk about their Quirks, as quiet as they can be as they huddled in a corner. Maiko hid a smile behind her mask, but her eyes crinkled slightly.

_This is it, the beginning of my Heroic path._

She ignored the eyes that stared at her back.

* * *

_And then, the doll moved._

'_Finally,' the servants and guards sighed. 'Finally we see a performance.'_

_The room was filled to the brim with people dressed in fineries, here to visit the doll. They were promised a wonderful performance to bring them luck. They had paid countless of gold to see this once in a lifetime experience, after all, they were only given one chance._

_One chance to see something from the heavens. One chance to be blessed._

_They never saw the tears pouring out of the doll's eyes._

* * *

**A/N:**

I don't really have a final pairing for Maiko yet, but I'm leaning towards Todoroki, because that boy needs love and there's no such thing as too much love. ALTHOUGH I admit, the last scene from Chapter 2 was what actually started this thing. I've been imagining Todoroki quietly following behind Maiko for the rest of the walk but my muse went the other way and made them walk together. Well, what can you do now?

ALSO! I took the liberty to adjust the calendar for the events since it kinda made more sense to me that everything took place with a few days in between. There's a post about BNHA's timeline somewhere in Reddit if I remember correctly. I'll wing it though.

((shameless plug again! if you wanna see Maiko's hero costume (ver 1) you can head on to Facebook and find my Art Page Seaciel 2(point)0 (replace point with a period). You can also catch doodles I'll make for this fic in the future in that page!

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**REVIEW RESPONSE!**

** bbymojo **Thank you very much for the support! Todoroki Shoto-cake is one of my favorite characters in the series, and I have a hard time writing aloof characters, so I'm very happy that you said that! I never did mention about Maiko's muteness, but I can't exactly say anything about it now as well. It'll play a role in the future, so light will be shed there uwu

** PrettyKitty Luvs U **Thank you very much for the support as well! I'll do my best to deliver the best Maiko I can uwu


	4. Chapter 4

Hello! Welcome back!

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_Maiko stared at the intricately designed kimono hanging behind her, the strings that accompanied the sheer shawl moved slowly with the small breeze of air. Thin fingers thread through inky black hair as another pair of hands painted red across her eyelids. Today, she was meeting her new teacher. And as always, she needed to look her best._

"_We're done, Maihime," her attendant flourished one last sweep of powder over her face, before patting her shoulder so Maiko could see her face in the mirror. The red eye shadow gave focus to her pale red eyes, and once again, she tried to think if she would have looked different if she had her mother's grass green eyes, or her father's pure ruby eyes._

_She shook her head, the bells in her headdress chiming with the movement. She nodded her head in thanks, before allowing them to dress her._

_The door opened, and Maiko instinctively toned down the flinch. The air became heavy, suffocating. It wasn't supposed to be. This was her domain, and air was her element. But it wasn't meant to be._

"_Make haste, Maiko," she tried to remember a time when that voice had been soothing, but it felt as if they were too far away. "Don't make your teacher wait longer."_

"_Yes Mother."_

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A few months ago, before the idea of entering Yuuei was presented to her, Maiko thought she'd be spending her entire life within the walls of the family compound. She was what she was, the prized daughter of the Yukinokouji family. She had everything handed to her in a silver platter, not once needing to step further than the confines of her rooms to get what she wanted and needed.

It had been a lonely life.

If given the chance to choose a different life, Maiko would have taken it. Anything to escape the stifling feeling that almost always threatened to choke her.

Now though, she was on her own. Oh, she knew that there was a chance of someone watching over her under the employ of her family, but she couldn't get herself to care. She had her own apartment, even though she had more chances of burning it down if she tried to cook, and no one really knew her in her new school, no one to connect her face to the family aside from the last name.

She was considerably happier now. And she hoped it showed.

'_You don't deserve it. You don't deserve them.'_

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Working with a team was something new to Maiko. She was raised with the knowledge that she could easily make people do things for her with a single word, effortlessly. Being home schooled also didn't give her any chance to socialize with children her age. What children in the family compound were all told to stay away from her, and wasn't that a sad thought? So now, she had no experience of working in a team. She did know that she had to cooperate in order to make it easier for all parties involved.

"Team A and Team D please proceed to the grounds!" All Might's loud voice brought her back to reality. Maiko watched as Midoriya shudder as he and Uraraka went in. Bakugou stomped his way to the designated building, with Iida following him with his choppy arm gestures.

Their own team would be second to the last to go. And while that was more than enough time to make a strategy, Kirishima and Sero seemed to be more interested in watching the first match. She had to admit, she was interested too, more curious than anything though. After all, a few days of observation gave her enough clues that there was something between Midoriya and Bakugou aside from being childhood friends as the green-haired boy claimed.

Pale red eyes stared at the monitors that showed what was happening out in the field. Bakugou had immediately gone to find Midoriya, with rage in his eyes. _Violent_. How a person with such temperament could become a hero, perhaps they'll see him mellow down.

_Not likely_, Maiko thought with a wince as they watched the fight. This wasn't simply between rival classmates. This was more personal. Something to do with the explosive teen's claims that Midoriya was Quirkless. Was he though? Or did he just pretend to be one because he couldn't control how self-destructive his Quirk was to his own body?

_Not my business_, she sighed. But something inside her twitched as she saw bruises upon bruises appear on the smaller male's body. She stomped down on her instincts to go and jump into the fray if only to prevent more injuries from showing up. _It's not your place, nor is it your job._

'_Isn't it, though?'_

In the end, Midoriya's team won, and Bakugou's lost. Although, it certainly seemed the other way around, considering how the explosive teen had practically pummelled Midoriya down the ground. The green-haired teen had been creative in securing the nuclear detonator, but his plan had been too risky, too much collateral damage had been caused.

_Lost the battle, but won the war. _Had it been worth it though? The fight felt personal. It was more than simple rivalry. And Midoriya had looked like he was trying to prove something.

Maiko sighed, leaning back on her seat as they waited for the previous teams to come back to the observation room. Midoriya had been sent to the infirmary so Recovery Girl could heal him, hopefully he'd be back to see the rest of the matches. But considering his injuries, it might take him longer to replenish the energy that Recovery Girl will be using to patch him up.

It was strange looking at Bakugou right now. His quiet countenance was such a stark difference from the explosive teen from the match earlier. Had he realized something? Or was he simply brooding because he lost despite managing to beat up the one person who he's been targeting from the start?

No matter, Maiko huffed, turning her gaze back to the class again. Momo was explaining why Iida had been the MVP of the match. Despite Midoriya distracting Bakugou, and Uraraka capturing the fake weapon, Iida had been the one to adapt and plan accordingly. He had been prepared when Uraraka entered the room, and had been focused on his task even when his teammate had practically left him hanging.

She didn't really understand, if you won, you won, right? Wasn't that enough?

The next match was Todoroki and Mezo versus Hagakure and Ojiro.

"_See you?"_ Maiko typed in her phone, showing it to the ice-clad boy as he passed by her. Todoroki only nodded at her.

"Maiko-san's friends with Todoroki, huh?" Kirishima piped from behind her. "I hadn't noticed before but you usually have lunch with him, right?"

She nodded. _"We… met prior to the first day. We talked a bit."_ It wasn't a lie per say, but she didn't mention the meeting between the four recommended students before the first day of classes. Sero sent her a curious look, but she ignored it, focusing on the screens instead.

She knew that Todoroki was powerful, considering he was a recommended student and had passed the placement test. Mezo, she was still figuring out, but seeing his extra limbs turn into ears, it seemed that he was a tracker and a fighter as well. Hagakure was mainly for stealth, her Quirk allowed for her to disappear in plain sight. Ojiro, on the other hand, was a martial arts specialist, if his costume was any hint. Perhaps his tail was more powerful? Or did it act as an extra limb that he could control?

So many Quirks, so many questions.

Pale red eyes stared at the monitor showing the building encased in thick cold ice. _Impressive._ Elemental based Quirks really were something else. And for him to be able to create ice from nothing was even more so.

In the end, it was Todoroki and Mezo who won, with the icy teen ending up as the MVP through sheer strength alone. It was rather anti-climactic, and Maiko was sure her classmates would agree. On the other hand, it was efficient. After all, if you could finish a fight in one move, what's the use of prolonging it? Save energy. She approved.

The next battle was Momo's. She was paired with the boy with violet balls for his hair. Somehow, his presence repulsed her, it reminded her of something vile and Maiko didn't know how to react. She would just have to avoid him for as long as she can.

"_Good luck,"_ she smiled at Momo as the taller girl passed her. She was repaid with a demure smile of her own.

The match was quick, not as fast as the previous one, but it was done without much fanfare. Momo was intelligent and very creative. She was a natural leader, able to think on her feet quickly to adapt to the situation at hand. Not that their opponents were bad, but with Momo's Quirk, she had an endless arsenal of things to counter their attacks.

In the end, the Villain team won, with Momo as the MVP. She was the brains of the operation, after all.

Maiko zoned out on what All Might was saying. Suddenly, the thought that she was about to enter the battlefield just came to her and now she didn't exactly know what to do. Kirishima and Sero were a comforting presence, waiting for her so they could all head out to strategize.

A cold hand on her wrist made her pause. She looked up at Todoroki's rather blank eyes, head tilted. For a moment, she thought he was going to say something. Or that she would be able to talk and reassure him that she'd be fine. But as he released her wrist and she was finally walking towards the door with her teammates, she realized he understood her.

'_Some people can understand you without the use of words, Maiko.'_

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In another life, Maiko would have been chattering away with a soft voice perfectly suited for her petite image. She would have made friends so much easier, knowing how to socialize with people from a young age. She would have embraced herself, her Quirk and everything that came with it. In another life, Maiko would have been a great performer.

But that wasn't the case. Here, she wasn't able to talk, communicating only with her hands and written words. She had been chained down, despite the fact that Air shouldn't be. She had been secreted away, hidden from the prying eyes of the public. She learned to doubt herself, not knowing if she should really be pursuing something she wanted for herself. But one thing remained the same. She was still a great performer.

Maiko always knew she hid behind a mask. One she had crafted herself, polished by the way she was brought up. Her dance instructor had once said that she had the perfect face, not giving away any of her real self, always maintaining emotions needed for a dance. She grew up with it, and she didn't know how to function without it.

_She didn't even know herself anymore._

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They entered the battlefield first, being the Villain team, to scope out the landscape and figure out a plan to make sure that the other team, composed of Tokoyami and Asui Tsuyu, wouldn't catch them off guard.

Maiko had used her phone to communicate with the two boys, it was easier than having to sign with them not understanding it at all.

"_Tokoyami-kun's Quirk is Dark Shadow, he's sentient and strong,"_ she tapped her finger against her mask-covered chin. _"I am unsure about Asui-san's Quirk aside from it gives her characteristics of a frog."_

She hasn't had the chance to talk to the other girl aside from when they were introduced to each other back at the Quirk Assessment Test, and _that seemed so long ago now._

"Frog, huh? Can she climb on walls?" Sero hummed in contemplation. "She might attempt to climb the sides of the buildings if she can."

"Maybe Yukinokouji-chan can stay here and guard the weapon?" Kirishima blurted out, before his arms flailed about. "I mean, you have an Air Manipulation Quirk, right?"

Maiko nodded.

"I'm more of a tank because of my Quirk, and Sero here's useful in capturing because of his tape," the red-head added. "We can maybe take care of Tokoyami. That's if he decides to storm through the front door."

She thought about it. But it was true. Maiko was more of a long-range fighter with her Quirk, and though she knew self-defense, it wouldn't be of any use against a Quirk like Dark Shadow. So she nodded her approval.

"_I will handle Asui-san if she gets here," _she paused a bit. _"I can track them using the air, if there's any disturbance at all. Perhaps we can settle on signals so we can communicate?"_

They settled for taps on the communicators over their ears. Corresponding taps for corresponding floors, a slide of a nail for Tokoyami, and a scratch for Asui. It was rough, but it would work. No one knew Morse code anyway, and Maiko certainly couldn't speak.

"BATTLE START!" All Might's loud voice made her jolt from her position. Sighing, Maiko set to work.

She closed her eyes and _focused_.

Her Quirk, Air Manipulation, allowed her to utilize air whichever way she wanted. Wind gusts, whirlwinds, air pressure, removing air from a spot, there was limitless possibilities because air in itself was endless. Air was her domain, it was hers to use, and it was hers to own. With that in mind, Maiko's hands reached out, her mind mapping the building using the air currents within.

She could feel Kirishima and Sero in the second floor, their figures disrupting the air flow just slightly. Tokoyami was walking up the stairs, his cloak billowing in the wind. Quickly, she tapped her communicator, getting a small _"roger"_ from her two teammates as she did so.

With that part done, she turned her focus in finding Asui. She was… not in the building. So perhaps she was _outside?_ Maiko's brows furrowed. Mapping the outside was harder to do, since she had to isolate the air around the building, but air currents from the entire battlefield was rather distracting and she needed to focus.

_Now, where was she? Oh._ Asui was indeed climbing the building. But to Maiko's luck, she was on the other side.

A small explosion brought her out of her thinking, but her mind was still latched on to Asui's presence slowly climbing up. Sero and Kirishima were engaging Tokoyami and Dark Shadow, and as much as she had her own task to do. The two boys were strong, and she trusted them to know what to do to win.

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Sero Hanta was a plain boy with a slightly interesting Quirk. Just _slightly_ because no one really expected tapes to come out of a person's elbow. He knew he was plain, he wasn't that interesting at all. His hair was plain, his face was plain. The only thing not plain is his triangular mouth which ran in the family.

But if there was one thing Hanta knew, it was to utilize his plainness to blend in his surroundings and simply _watch_.

From the moment he entered the testing center during the Entrance Exams, he had watched his fellow examinees. And when he met his new classmates, he observed and took in the different personalities, taking note of who to befriend easily, and who to approach carefully. One person in the former category was Kirishima. A sunshine incarnate. And easily into the latter category was Bakugou.

It certainly wouldn't hurt to try to befriend the explosive teen though. Who knows, his prickly personality might dull if he had friends. Kirishima would be a good instrument to start that mission, no one can ignore a pure child.

Back to what he was saying. He could catalogue where to categorize his classmates in the few days that they've been classmates.

But there were two mysteries in his class: Midoriya Izuku and Yukinokouji Maiko.

The former was as skittish as a puppy, but he was friendly. He hid a strong personality, if what Hanta had seen during the Quirk Apprehension Test and the previous battle with Bakugou were any hints. He'd be easy to befriend though, if not an easy nut to crack. But that's fine.

Yukinoukouji, on the other hand, was harder to read. She was a quiet presence, like Todoroki. But unlike their resident Ice Prince, there was no way to understand her. Her eyes were expressive, but at the same time, closed off. The only times Hanta would see emotion on her eyes were when Tokoyami and Yaoyorozu would scold her about Yukinokouji and Todoroki's food choices, and when she was around their small circle of friends.

Outside of confusion and small bouts of happiness, nothing else showed.

So when Hanta and Kirishima were grouped with who they dubbed Little Kitten for the battle simulation, he had thought it an opportunity to watch the small girl closer. He was right and wrong at the same time.

He managed to see that she can communicate better than Todoroki, but at the same time, she was as socially stunted as the aforementioned teen. Hanta didn't know how to make of her, but he adapted. He could see she was trying her best, and if there was something he admired, it was the drive to be better.

So Hanta dragged Kirishima to face Tokoyami, leaving Yukinokouji on her own. He trusted her enough to know what she was doing. She seemed to have a good grasp of her Quirk, what little they've seen anyway.

For now though, they had to focus on the fight. Yukinokouji had signalled that Tokoyami was on his way to the second floor. She was currently in the fifth floor with the weapon, the higher ground gave her more advantage being closer to open air. How she tracked the opposing team would remain a mystery to them until she explained. Kirishima was standing in the middle of the corridor, his arms hardened by his Quirk. Hanta himself was hidden behind a pillar. He would be key for capture, his Quirk was made for it.

Tokoyami was a difficult opponent, if only because Hanta and Kirishima couldn't get close to him because Dark Shadow was powerful in the dim lighting of the building. But they'd stall, because the Little Kitten was facing off with Asui and—

"_**Asui Tsuyu has been captured!"**_ yeah, that. They only had the signal a few moments ago, but Yukinokouji sure did a quick job of that.

From across the corridor, Hanta saw Tokoyami give a small look of incredulousness, before it settled to acceptance because surely he knew that his friend was a powerhouse in that petite frame of hers.

"It seems that I am alone now in this pursuit of stopping evil," the corners of his beak seemed to curl up a bit, and that was all they had before Dark Shadow was moving again and this time, Tokoyami also burst into action.

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It started as a small tingle on her temples.

Maiko knew that Asui was nearing the room where she was in. Sero and Kirishima were already fighting with Tokoyami, the small shakes in the building was testament to that.

A quiet croak coming from just beyond the doorway got her attention. Maiko hid a satisfied smile, scratching her communicator to tell her teammates that Asui was already in her floor. Now, what to do…? She knew the other girl wouldn't come barging in like a hothead. She was more likely to wait out.

There was a sudden change in the air. Maiko's brows nearly furrowed, keeping her eyes shut. Oh. Asui probably thought she was asleep, or tracking the other two. The other girl's footsteps were quiet, barely there. Anyone aside from Maiko, or someone with great senses, wouldn't have heard her enter the room. Maiko would have sighed if she could. Underestimating people would lead to one's demise. But it played for her advantage, so she wasn't going to complain.

In a snap, Maiko reached out again, catching Asui in surprise. The Capture Weapons on her arms swirling in the air, one of them rushing to grab the other girl's legs. She had to give it to Asui though, she was quick to dodge.

But if there was one thing Maiko prided herself in, it was her speed.

Just as Asui moved to perch on the wall near the weapon, Maiko's Capture Weapons turned to a different direction, the winds aiding it. In a single second, the frog-like girl's legs were wrapped with the white material. Without hesitating, Maiko flung her to the far end of the room. Quickly following after her, she prepared the capture tapes.

She heard a groan from where Asui had fallen, but there was no time to hesitate. Maiko crouched, the Capture Devices still holding the other girl down, and secured the tapes around her wrists.

"_**Asui Tsuyu has been captured!"**_All Might's voice echoed in the arena. Asui sighed and slumped in defeat.

"I thought you were asleep, _kero_," she stated, sitting in the corner.

"_I was focused on tracking all of you."_

There was another impact shaking the building, someone was probably thrown against a wall, or something. Maiko wanted to go and help her teammates. Should she though? Asui was here safely captured, she was out of the battle already. She could risk it, but she was also tasked to watch over the weapon just in case. There were a few minutes left of the exercise, might as well.

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"What's she doing?" Ashido asked as they watched Yukinokouji fling both of her arms in front of her. Her fingers were moving daintily, as if they were grasping something non-existent in the air.

"She's tracking them, I think," Yaoyorozu answered, her eyes intently watching the screens.

"She can do that?" the pink-hair-and-skin girl muttered.

"Isn't her Quirk Air?" Uraraka asked from the other side.

"Air Manipulation, to be exact," Yaoyorozu nodded in response. "She hasn't explained the entirety but I know she can create strong wind gusts to whirlwinds, and even create airless pockets."

They watched as Yukinokouji on screen tapped her communicator, and they watched as both Sero and Kirishima muttered something in response.

"They must have talked about codes earlier," she said thoughtfully. "Maiko-san's not able to communicate verbally, and I highly doubt any of them know Morse code, so simple taps are a good compromise."

"Oh, there's Tokoyami-kun!" Uraraka's chirpy voice echoed in the fairly silent room. Sure enough, Tokoyami was entering the second floor through the stairs. Kirishima and Sero were waiting for them.

It was a rather typical face-off between men. Kirishima was good in rushing forward, Sero was as well, but he had the element of surprise and capture. It didn't surprise any of them that this fight was taking longer though. Tokoyami was, after all, one of the strongest in their class in terms of Quirks.

"Oh, there's Tsuyu-chan," Hagakure muttered from her spot near the back. "Is she going to sneak around Yukinokouji-chan?"

"Is she asleep?" came Uraraka's question just as Hagakure finished.

"I… don't think so," Ojiro trailed off. "She does look like it though."

All Might kept an ear out for what his students were saying about the fight currently happening in Ground Beta. So far, this had been the longest fight. Not as explosive and destructive as the first, _and dear gods, Midoriya was in the infirmary again not because of One for All but rather because of his friend – is that even the right term for it – Bakugou, _and not as anti-climactic as the second.

This team had a rather solid strategy. Leave Yukinokouji with the weapon, her Air Quirk allowed for long range fighting, and Sero and Kirishima can handle Tokoyami to match his strength. So far, it was working.

"Tsuyu-chan's entering the room!" Ashido's voice made him focus to the other screen.

The class watched as the frog-like girl crept in the room, quickly and quietly. There was no movement from Yukinokouji aside from a small shift in her frame. Until she burst into action. The Capture Weapons on her arms waved in the air, before they slid towards the other girl. Asui was quick to dodge.

But the other girl was quicker. Her arms reached out again, the cloth wrapped around her left arm surging forward, capturing Asui's legs, and with a strength that her small body surely didn't have, Yukinokouji flung the other girl back to the other side of the room. They watched as she turned into a white blur as she followed, capture tape ready in her hands.

_"**Asui Tsuyu has been captured!" **_The monitor room was quiet as All Might announced that Asui had been captured. No one really knew how to react at what had happened in the fifth floor where Yukinokouji had been.

It happened so fast.

One moment, they were looking at Asui creeping past the other girl. The next, she was flying across the room, a white flash following her. And then she had been captured.

"W-What happened?" Kaminari stammered. No one answered him.

No one could even answer as they watched Yukinokouji close her eyes, before disappearing from the screen and appearing on the other screen where Sero and Kirishima were.

"WAIT WHAT?!" The class practically exploded after that. And really, All Might could relate.

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The pulsing in her temple grew in strength, but Maiko ignored it in lieu of focusing on where her two teammates where. Closing her eyes, Maiko grasped the moving air around them. She only had one shot at this.

"Y-Yukinokouji-chan?!" Kirishima's screech hurt her ears, but Maiko was already moving. The Capture Weapon on her right arm flying around Dark Shadow towards the exposed pipes behind Tokoyami. With another flourish of her hand, the other Capture Weapon wrapped around Tokoyami's legs. His current predicament surprised Dark Shadow who turned back to his user.

Sero and Kirishima took the opening, Sero's tapes coming out to wrap around Dark Shadow's claws. Maiko moved with them, capturing Tokoyami with the capture tape she had on her person.

"_**VILLAIN TEAM WINS!"**_All Might's voice rang around Ground Beta. The silence in the building was only broken by their own rasping breaths.

And with that, the barely there pulsing on her temple came back with a vengeance, stronger than before. It was probably a mistake trying to watch over all of them while she was also in a fight, no matter how short it had been. It was also a mistake to teleport when she knew she hasn't grasped the technique yet. Her stomach rumbled in protest, what was left of her lunch threatened to come out.

"_Asui-san's upstairs,"_ she tapped Kirishima's arm to tell him. With a grin, he bounded to the fifth floor to release the other girl.

"I didn't know you could teleport," Tokoyami rumbled as Sero released him. Dark Shadow looked like he was pouting.

"_I usually can't. It makes me nauseous, but it was quicker than going through the stairs."_

"WE WON!" Kirishima's yell came from the stairwell, Asui following behind him. "Good job guys!"

Maiko smiled, hidden behind her mask. Her first battle, with a team no less, was a success. Sero and Kirishima's arms were around her shoulders, singing a makeshift victory song as they headed back to the monitoring room. Maiko liked it.

_This is my life now_.

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**A/N:**

Sorry the ending seemed kinda forced ;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;

Once again, welcome to sporadic updates ahaha…ha

This is so far my longest chapter, I got carried away. Also, I was exploring with using other characters' POVs since I figured it would also be nice to see what Maiko's doing using other people's eyes. Should I continue with that? Tell me in the reviews!

I hate writing action scenes because they never seem to come out the way I want them to. I might have to do a short comic for this if I get the time and motivation? But ehhhhh I'm lazy (laughs nervously)

But we're getting somewhere! Next chapter might be a filler one, since I don't want to rush into the USJ arc yet. Perhaps another basic Hero Training Class (STC, anyone?) and a glimpse of Maiko's weekend. Might bring in some of the other kids in too, I nee s. (I'd also like to take this opportunity to say that I love pure boi Kirishima, he's a good boi.)

**REVIEWS MAKE MY DAY AND THEY ACTUALLY MOTIVATE ME. Thank you so much for the support!**

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**REVIEW REPONSE!**

**dolpene** Thank you so much! I try my best to keep it detailed but not so much to make it boring, I'm glad you think so too! We'll see more silently pouting Maiko here and there uwu

**Emberstork** and **Reversus12** Thank you for the review! Don't worry about the shipping, there won't be any this early in the fic. There's still a lot of things to go through and I'd like to see some development first before doing romance.

I'm also a firm member of the church of Slow Burn is Good for the Soul. And the pairing for Maiko isn't really fixed yet since there are still a lot of people she will meet, so there's that. Once again, thank you for the support and I hope you liked this chapter too!

**bbymojo** Thank you again for the review! And yes! I totally agree with you! Like I mentioned above, I'm a firm believer of Slow Burns and considering how Maiko's a bit socially stunted, we have quite a long way to go before romance comes in. I hope you liked Maiko here! I tried my best to keep her overpowered within reason uwu

**hourglass eternity** OH MY GOD I am suddenly shy ;;;;;;;;;; I know I've been shamelessly plugging my IG and FB but heck now that I know you've seen it aaaaaaaaaaaaaI'm shyyyyyyy. BUT THANK YOU VERY MUCH. Your question about Maiko's Quirk should be answered in this chapter, but of course there's still more in development ;) I can't say much anymore but SHINSO WILL BE HERE YES, I love that child.

**bisexuwhale**Thank you very much! I hope you like this newest chapter too!


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